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Friedrich Vordemberge-Gildewart: Nothing and Everything

Text by Roman Zieglgänsberger.

A member of the De Stijl group alongside Mondrian and van Doesburg, Friedrich Vordemberge-Gildewart (1899–1962) was one of the first abstract painters, and a participant in almost every European movement in abstraction. In 1924 he formed Gruppe K with Hans Nitzschke; after meeting Arp and van Doesburg, he joined De Stijl the following year, and began to produce paintings featuring small units of color placed sparingly across monochrome backgrounds. With Kurt Schwitters he formed the Abstraketen Hannover group in 1927, and was a founding member of Abstraction-Création in 1931, alongside Georges Vantongerloo and Jean Hélion. Published for the fiftieth anniversary of the artist’s death, this richly illustrated survey includes previously unseen works and documents, presenting Vordemberge-Gildewart not only as a painter and graphic artist but also as an interior designer, typographer and architect. Sketches and photo-collages from his visitors’ books provide a portrait of his lively milieu.

A member of the De Stijl group alongside Mondrian and van Doesburg, Friedrich Vordemberge-Gildewart (1899–1962) was one of the first abstract painters, and a participant in almost every European movement in abstraction. In 1924 he formed Gruppe K with Hans Nitzschke; after meeting Arp and van Doesburg, he joined De Stijl the following year, and began to produce paintings featuring small units of color placed sparingly across monochrome backgrounds. With Kurt Schwitters he formed the Abstraketen Hannover group in 1927, and was a founding member of Abstraction-Création in 1931, alongside Georges Vantongerloo and Jean Hélion. Published for the fiftieth anniversary of the artist’s death, this richly illustrated survey includes previously unseen works and documents, presenting Vordemberge-Gildewart not only as a painter and graphic artist but also as an interior designer, typographer and architect. Sketches and photo-collages from his visitors’ books provide a portrait of his lively milieu.